a TORNADO of a day

some things just have to be written down so you can remember 

exactly how crazy they were... like today.

I took Brooklyn to preschool. And then realized I'd forgotten my grocery list and had to run back to the house. (We needed WAY too much to try to remember... on top of the fact that- sadly- I can't remember anything these days).  After that, the twins and I went to the gym.  When we left the gym it was raining, but we had NOTHING to eat at home, so the grocery store stop was a must.  People were already giving me "the look" when I went running through the rain carrying 2 toddlers.  So I got them in the buggy... gave them a cookie, of course, and started my race to finish shopping as quickly as possible.  Within a few minutes, my sister called to say that bad weather was headed our way and she was going to go to the preschool to pick up Brooklyn, Hadley, and Luke early. 

Second call: Kristen calling to say that she left her cell phone at home & now the weather was really bad and the school wouldn't let her leave.  So she and 6 month-old, Anna Kate, were in the preschool office if I needed her.

3rd call: My brother-in-law, Andy, calling to see where Kristen is & why she's not answering.  And telling me to get out of the store and get home.

At this point, I check out with the few things I have and 2 sweet Publix employees with yellow rain gear get me, the girls, and my few groceries to the car through the downpour.

4th call: Jason telling me not to even drive home because I'd be driving right toward a tornado and to go back across the street into the YMCA basement.

As I am sitting at the red light trying to get across the street, the car in front of me rolls backwards and wrecks into the front of my car!!!!

Thankfully, not enough damage to hurt anyone, but enough to dent my car... which means a need to call the police. I call, the guy that hits me gives me his number and insurance info, and then gets in his car and LEAVES!  (Meanwhile, I'm throwing goldfish crackers to the girls who are hungry for lunch). Police show up.  Insist that the man return.  The man's grandfather comes back in the same car??? Police insist that the man that caused the wreck comes.  Policeman shows ME attitude for having to deal with this in the middle of tornadic weather.  Finally the policeman writes me a temporary report and tells me to get the babies (who are now asleep) somewhere safe immediately. 

We park at the front door of the Y, and 2 employees run out and immediately take Sophie and Emma from me and yell for me to follow.  (It was at this point that tears began to well up because I realized just HOW BAD it was).  My poor babies got woken up to strangers running them though a hard rain.  They get us to the basement where tons of people are smooshed in the hallway and yell for everyone to move over to get the babies to the back.

So Sophie and Emma and I sat on the basement floor of the YMCA, soaking wet, with no cell phone service, and scared to death.  The girls never made a peep.  They were truly in shock.  So we set there for 45 minutes until we got the "all clear".  

I took the girls home and picked Brooklyn up from Kristen's.

Now... at the end of the day everyone and everything is perfectly fine!!!  

But my nerves are SHOT!